“But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:23)
Sin is the deadliest plague ever to affect mankind.
Throughout history, deadly plagues have ravaged the human race. In just three years (1348-1350), the infamous “Black Death” (an outbreak of bubonic plague) killed half the population of Europe. In our own times, diseases such as AIDS have reached epidemic proportions.
But there is one plague that is far deadlier than all the others combined: Sin. Sin has affected everyone who has ever lived (Romans 3:19, 23). And unlike other plagues, sin kills everyone it infects (Romans 5:12).
While sin invariably causes physical and (apart from faith in Christ) spiritual death, it has many other devastating consequences. Sin corrupts the mind (Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 4:17-19), the will (cf. Jeremiah 44:16-17), and the affections (John 3:19; 1 John 2:15). Sin brings people under the control of Satan (John 8:44; Ephesians 2:2) and makes them the objects of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Sin robs people of peace (Isaiah 48:22) and replaces it with misery (Job 5:7; Romans 8:20).
Although as Christians we experience God’s gracious forgiveness, sin still has serious consequences in our lives. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), causes God not to answer our prayers (1 Peter 3:7), limits our ability to serve God (2 Timothy 2:20-21), or even disqualifies some from Christian service (1 Corinthians 9:27). It also renders our worship hypocritical and unacceptable (Psalm 33:1; Isaiah 1:14), causes God to withhold blessing (Jeremiah 5:25), robs us of joy (Psalm 51:12), subjects us to God’s chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11), hinders our spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:13), and pollutes our fellowship with Him (1 Corinthians 10:21). Most significantly, sin causes our lives to dishonor Him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Every true Christian despises sin and yearns to be free from it. Do you realize the deadly nature of sin? I pray that the cry of your heart would echo that of Paul’s: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).
Thank God for delivering you from sin, and pray that He would give you a holy hatred for it.
Prayer
Lord, I have failed you because of my sin. Set me free from my sin and strengthen my faith to withstand the trials of this world. Let my life bring nothing but glory to Your Name.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
